Mountains to Molehills: 'One cause'

Published: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 3:36 p.m.

Mark A. Young of Hendersonville, responding to a Mountains to Molehills reader’s list of interesting things the United States accomplished during World War II, offers an additional interesting fact for balance. “I am a veteran of World War II. I enlisted when I was 17 in the Army Air Corps. In the 1930s, the country was divided between America Firsters and those who believed as Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, that war was the only solution,” recalls Mr. Young. “I was an America Firster until Pearl Harbor. Then the whole country banded together, all working for one cause. What was achieved was clearly stated in (the Mountains to Molehills item published Jan. 3), and I might add these things were achieved under two Democratic presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. It is amazing what we can achieve when working together.” One more thing: “Comparing this to President Barack Obama’s effort to establish the Affordable Care Act is ridiculous. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. First of all, private business built the website, not the administration. The president was as disgusted as anybody else. Republicans gloated over the failure. At this time, the country is not working together. In fact, the Republicans are against moving the country forward and boast about it. In time, the Affordable Care Act, along with Social Security and Medicare, will be great accomplishments for we the people.”

‘BANANA REPUBLIC’: Duane Johnson of Hendersonville says he is amazed by the “fanciful notion” presented by Roger Stark and others that this nation’s Founding Fathers would support the overthrow of the U.S. government by force. “They seem to think that the U.S. Constitution, created by those Founding Fathers, contains only the First and Second amendments,” says Mr. Johnson. “The Constitution established a process for the peaceful transition of power called elections. The majority of the American people elected the current government. It would be wrong for the will of the majority to be overthrown by a small minority of 5 million assault rifle-toting rebels, as advocated by Mr. Stark. Such an implausible and ill-conceived coup d’etat would be a clear violation of the Constitution and totally out of keeping with what the Founding Fathers envisioned for our constitutional democracy. It would turn the United States into nothing more than a banana republic.”

YIKES!: A man brought his best buddy home for dinner without first checking with his wife. His wife screamed at him while his friend listened. “My hair and makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I’m still in my pajamas, and I can’t be bothered with cooking tonight! Why on earth did you bring him home tonight?” she scolded. “Because,” said the husband, “he’s thinking about getting married.”

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Let’s recycle those Christmas cards (fronts only) by sending them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. The recycled cards will be sold to help continue work for abused, abandoned and neglected children. Send your cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude’s St., Boulder City, Nev., 89005. All types of greeting cards, with the exception of those made by Hallmark, Disney and American Greetings, are used for the project. The St. Jude’s recycled card project currently has an increased need for birthday and thank-you cards. You can order recycled cards from St. Jude’s by phone at 877-977-7572. Cards are sold in packets of 10 for $17 and are available in the following categories: general Christmas, religious Christmas, Easter, birthday, thank-you, sympathy, Thanksgiving and all-occasion greeting cards.

<p>Mark A. Young of Hendersonville, responding to a Mountains to Molehills reader's list of interesting things the United States accomplished during World War II, offers an additional interesting fact for balance. “I am a veteran of World War II. I enlisted when I was 17 in the Army Air Corps. In the 1930s, the country was divided between America Firsters and those who believed as Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, that war was the only solution,” recalls Mr. Young. “I was an America Firster until Pearl Harbor. Then the whole country banded together, all working for one cause. What was achieved was clearly stated in (the Mountains to Molehills item published Jan. 3), and I might add these things were achieved under two Democratic presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. It is amazing what we can achieve when working together.” One more thing: “Comparing this to President Barack Obama's effort to establish the Affordable Care Act is ridiculous. It's like comparing apples to oranges. First of all, private business built the website, not the administration. The president was as disgusted as anybody else. Republicans gloated over the failure. At this time, the country is not working together. In fact, the Republicans are against moving the country forward and boast about it. In time, the Affordable Care Act, along with Social Security and Medicare, will be great accomplishments for we the people.”</p><p>'BANANA REPUBLIC': Duane Johnson of Hendersonville says he is amazed by the “fanciful notion” presented by Roger Stark and others that this nation's Founding Fathers would support the overthrow of the U.S. government by force. “They seem to think that the U.S. Constitution, created by those Founding Fathers, contains only the First and Second amendments,” says Mr. Johnson. “The Constitution established a process for the peaceful transition of power called elections. The majority of the American people elected the current government. It would be wrong for the will of the majority to be overthrown by a small minority of 5 million assault rifle-toting rebels, as advocated by Mr. Stark. Such an implausible and ill-conceived coup d'etat would be a clear violation of the Constitution and totally out of keeping with what the Founding Fathers envisioned for our constitutional democracy. It would turn the United States into nothing more than a banana republic.”</p><p>YIKES!: A man brought his best buddy home for dinner without first checking with his wife. His wife screamed at him while his friend listened. “My hair and makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I'm still in my pajamas, and I can't be bothered with cooking tonight! Why on earth did you bring him home tonight?” she scolded. “Because,” said the husband, “he's thinking about getting married.”</p><p>LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Let's recycle those Christmas cards (fronts only) by sending them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children. The recycled cards will be sold to help continue work for abused, abandoned and neglected children. Send your cards to St. Jude's Ranch for Children, Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude's St., Boulder City, Nev., 89005. All types of greeting cards, with the exception of those made by Hallmark, Disney and American Greetings, are used for the project. The St. Jude's recycled card project currently has an increased need for birthday and thank-you cards. You can order recycled cards from St. Jude's by phone at 877-977-7572. Cards are sold in packets of 10 for $17 and are available in the following categories: general Christmas, religious Christmas, Easter, birthday, thank-you, sympathy, Thanksgiving and all-occasion greeting cards.</p>